1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telephone answering machine, and more particularly, to a telephone answering machine which can be initiated after a telephone connection is established.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Telephone answering machines are used in almost every household for answering telephones and recording incoming messages when users of the machines are not available. When digital answering machines (DAM) begin emerging in the market, versatile electronic functions are added to such answering machines by using some electronic chips available in the market. A telephone answering machine is usually triggered by incoming ring signals when the number of ring signals exceed a predetermined number set by the user or manufacturer of the machine. When it is initiated, an out-going message which comprises greetings and recording instructions prepared by a user will be played to the caller and then incoming messages from the caller will be recorded. Some other functions such as multiple voice mail boxes for recording incoming messages for each individuals of a household may also be initiated in the same time if such functions are available in the machine. In such case the caller has to select one voice mail box first so that he can leave his messages to the right person.
One problem with most telephone answering machines is that if a person at the receiving end picks up the phone and find that he is not the right person to answer the phone, there is no way for him to switch the phone to the answering machine because most answering machines can only be initiated by a predetermined number of ring signals and there is no way to start the machine after the phone is picked up. The person either has to transfer the message for the caller or he has to request the caller to call again so that the answering machine can be initiated at the second call. Apparent such process is very inconvenient both to the caller and to the person who answers the phone.